Chenille making machine



Sept. 19, 1933. E. A. NEFF El AL GHENILLE MAKING MACHINE Filed June 12, 3.931 4 Sheets-Sheet l Imam/:5 zm aj q/z 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 19, 1933.

x I 150 1J- 62 ldtw/eaoe W W Sept. 19, 1933. NEFF r AL 1,927,292

CHENILLE MAKING MACHINE Filed June 12, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet. 3

0 6 M 7L666Q6I i I 6 m i i l8? 92 gzzam/wazz Jy 7 I QOT eZFfZ UM Sept. 19, 1933- E. A. NEFF El" AL CHENILLE MAKING MACHINE Filed June 12 1951 k 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 fibril Ewe Ema/r54 a. /Z6

Patented Sept.19,'1933 g 1,927,292

UNITED STATES PATENT. ori ice 1,927,292 I CHENILLE MAKING MACHINE Edward 1 A. Neff and George P. Rink; Chicago, 111., assignors to Phoenix Trimming 00., a corporation of Illinois Application June 12, 1931. Serial No. 543,886 7 Claims. (01. 117-14) The invention relates to an automatic machine unitary character adapted to operate simultanefor making chenille, which isa product made of ously upon two separate forming units. 1 a plurality of wisps of fibrous material constitut- Itis a further object of the invention to proing what may be termed the weft of the chenille, vide novel and improved means for imparting the each ofjthe wisps thereof being held between the twist to the separately formed chenille strands 60 convolutions or twists of a pair of threadsor and for winding the same in cylindrical formastrands of twisted fibrous material constituting tion'upon spools or like retaining devices. what may be termed the warp of the chenille, It is a further object of the invention to proservingas a foundation or holding .medium for vide in a chenille forming. device, an improved,

lothe cross or transverse fibrous strands of chenille. detachable, stationary forming member for as- 65 It is the primary object of the invention to pro sembling the foundation threads and adapted to vide improved mechanism in automatic chenille be used in a combination with a rotatable weft making machines that shall make the machine strand feeder and a weft strand severing device. more certain and efficient in itsinode of operation Other objects of the invention will appear .15 and of such construction that it is more easily from the following description of the invention .70 taken care of byv anoperator than the machines as embodied in the preferred form thereof as of this character heretoforeproduced. shown in the accompanying drawings forming A further object of the invention is to provide a part of this specification, the novel features an improved automaticchenille. making machine thereof being set forth in the'appended claims.

. capable of satisfactorilymaking from a single In the said drawings: v r 7 spinning head, two separate strands of chenille Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of one unit from the finest fibers such as silk or mercerized of the complete machine with parts thereof cotton or rayon and other like materials of a soft broken away to better disclose details of conand silky nature. f struction and to depict the mechanism in as .25 It is a further object of the invention to so 0011- compact a condition as'poss'ible. struct the spinning and forming device of a'che-- Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the broken nille making machine that the movement of the line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indifibrous materials through the forming and spincated by the arrows with parts broken away and ning devices shall be for the most part in. a verin sections to .disclose the details of the con- 3O tical direction thereby producing a machine unit struction of the-chief operating parts for sup- 85 which shall occupy a minimum amount of floor plying the strands of foundation and weft maspace thereby not only conserving space but makterials, for applying adhesive material to cering it possible and practical for a single operator tain of the foundation strands and for spinor attendant to care for a larger number of units ning, cutting and winding the fabricated chenille of such machines than heretofore possible and strands. V 90 practicable in this art. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view It is a further object of the invention in a chethrough the twisting, forming and cuttingdevices nille .making machine to generally improve the taken approximately on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 lookconstruction of the mechanism for twisting the ing in the direction indicated by the arrows.

4: foundation threads of the chenille and intro- Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view 9 ducing thereinto the weft materials in the formathrough the forming and cutting mechanism tion of a double chenillestrand in condition to be taken on line 4 -4 of Fig. 3 looking. downwardly severed in the formationof individual chenille as indicated by the arrows. strands. Fig. 5 is an enlarged, horizontal detail sec- It is a still further object of the invention to tional view taken approximately on line 5-5 of provide an improved combination .of a chenille Fig- 1, looking in the direction indicated by the forming device including a rotatable twisting arrows. head for the chenille foundation threads incom- Fig. 6 is a vertical detail sectional View taken bination. with improved means for introducing through the forming and cutting devices approxifibrous weft material and improved means for mately on the line 6- 6 of Fig. 3 looking in the 0 severing the latter whereby to form, in connection direction indicated by. the arrows. witnthe single head. apair of continuous chenille Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view constrands. a V siderably enlarged illustrating details of the sta- It is a further objectof the invention to provide tionary and movable parts of the chenille forman improved cutting orsevering mechanismof a ing and severing devices, the direction of travel 1 Fig. 9 is an elevation view taken at right angles to the device as it appears in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged top plan view of -the-de vice of Figs. 8 and 9.

Figs. 11 to 13 inclusive are enlarged detail transverse sectional views of the device of Figs 8 and 9, these views being taken on lines 11--11, 1212 and 13-13, respectively of Fig. 8 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Y

Fig. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the lower end of the stationary former and guide shown in Figs. '7 to 9 inclusive.

Fig. 15 is a detail sectional view taken approximately online 15-15 of Fig. 14 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figs. 16 and 1'7 are broken detail views of the weft strand guide protruding from the lower end of the revolving head and designed to spirally wrap the weft strand around the forming device shown in detail in Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive.

Fig. 18 is an enlarged illustrative view with parts broken away and in section to illustrate the mode of operation of the chenille forming and cutting device.

Fig. 19 is an illustrative detail sectional view showing the operation of'dividing or severing the completed chenille strands, the View being taken on line 1919 of Fig. 18 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 20 is a fragmentary view of a completed chenille strand as formed by the herein described mechanism. r

The embodiment of the invention as herein illustrated and described is preferably supported upon a comparatively narrow upright frame as contrasted with the usual low and comparatively long frame that has heretofore been employed in supporting chenille forming mechanisms when, as heretofore the common practice in this art,

the general direction of travel of the fibrous materials in the machine is in a horizontal direction. In the present invention, the rotation of the chenille forming and twisting mechanism is upon a vertical axis and the general direction of travel of the fibrous material used in making the chenille is in a substantially parallel direction to the vertical axis of the forming and twisting devices.

The various operative parts of the machine may be conveniently supported upon the two spaced-apart frame members designated by reference characters 10 and 11 (Figs. 1 and 2) which will be suitably cross-connected by transverse braces designated by the reference characters 12, 13 and 14 (Fig. 1) and also by the comparatively rigid, vertically extending top plate 15 (Figs. 1 and 2) all of which cross members will 7 also be utilized insupporting various portions of the co-operating parts of the mechanism of the machine as hereinafter described.

16 is a horizontal power shaft mounted in suitable bearings, not shown, in the side frame members 10 and 11 as shown in the present embodiment of the invention as provided with a power pulley 217 designed to be driven by a flat flexible belt 218 from any suitable source of Figs. 1 and 2 and being provided at its upper extremity with bevel gear 20 co-operating with bevel gear 21 on the upper horizontal operating shaft 22. I

The vertical shaft 19 will be rotatably supported in bearings 23, 23' formed on the respective lower and upper brackets 24, 25 secured to the respective upper and lower transverse brace members 26, 2'7 attached to the rear, corner posts of the side frame members 10 and 11 (see Fig. 2).

The function of the driving gears operating through the vertical shaft 19 is to impart movement to the units of the foundation thread twisting and weft wrapping mechanism and to the weft thread cutting or severing mechanism as hereinafter described, both of which devices are operated through the horizontal shaft 22 supported at the rear of the machine in a bearing 28 shown as formed on a branch of the aforesaid bearing bracket 25 carried on the transverse frame brace 27 and being supported further at its forward extremity in a bearing bracket 29 supported by the aforesaid vertical top front plate 15.

30 is a bevel gear secured to shaft 22 meshing with the bevel gear 31 secured to the upper end of the short vertical shaft 32 (Fig. 2) to which is secured the grooved pulley 33 for driving the flexible band knife 34 which will be supported upon an idler pulley, not shown, on a shaft 50 carried by a bracket 51 from the vertical plate 15 (Fig. 1) at the front of the machine adjacent the forward broken terminus of the band knife 34 as illustrated in Fig. 2.

At the forward extremity of the upper power shaft 22 adjacent the vertical top supporting plate 15is affixed the bevel gear 35 meshing with a co-operating bevel gear 36 (Figs. 1 and 2) which is fixed to a short vertical shaft 37 supported by the spaced-apart bearings 38 and 39 attached to the aforesaid vertical top plate 15.

The aforesaid short vertical shaft 32 carrying the band knife driving pulley 33, will be rotatably mounted in spaced-apart bearings 52, 53, carried by the bifurcated arms of a supporting bracket 54 attached to the rear of the aforesaid vertical top plate 15.

In the embodiment of the invention, as illustrated, it will be noted that the frame of the machine as illustrated in the front view Fig. 1, has the cross-connecting frame members broken away at the right side thereof. This has been done to illustrate the essential features of the invention in the most compact form possible and it is desired to state that in the preferred manner of constructing the machine, it will preferably but not necessarily be provided with duplicate vertically extending chenille forming devices as contemplated by the broken assembled views in Figs. 1 and 2. This may conveniently be accomplished by the driving mechanism as heretofore described comprising the main lower transverse driving shaft 16, the vertical power transmission shaft 19 and the horizontal upper driving shaft 22 extending from the rear of the machine toward the front thereof with their connecting gears with the enlarged head 45.

as described for imparting rotary movement through the bevel gears 35, 36 to the upper short vertical shaft 37, which latter carries at its upper end the comparatively large, peripherally toothed driving gear 40 for imparting rotary motion to the vertical winding or spinning heads of the chenille forming mechanisms. This gear 40, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, meshes with the spur gear 41 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3) which is secured to the upper extremity of a rotatable forming head of special construction mounted to have a rapid rotary movement on a vertical axis on spaced-apart anti-friction bearings in a two-part bearing member designated generally by the reference character 42. Y

The bearing member 42 is shown in front and side elevation in Figs. 1 and 2 respectively and the details of this rotatable forming head and its bearing support 42 may be seen by an inspection of the detail sectional viewsof Figs. 3, 6 and 7 respectively.

The aforesaid rotatable chenille forming head to which the aforesaid driving gear 41 is secured will preferably consist of hollow tube-like shaft 43 supported in a suitable anti-friction ball bearing designated generally by the reference character 44 within the two-part bearing bracket 42 and carrying an enlarged head portion 45 at its lower extremity with a peripheral shoulder 46 at the lower end of the two-part bearing bracket 42. The enlarged peripheral head portion 45 at the lower end of the rotatable chenille forming head has its interior central bore slightly enlarged as illustrated in Figs. 3, 6 and 'l to receive a hollow lower bearing sleeve 4'? of special construction, the same being of tubular form with a lower enlarged peripheral portion as indicated at 48. Around the periphery of the enlarged portion 45 of the head, is shrunk or otherwise fixedly secured, the band ring 49 in a manner to rotate The hollow interior portion, designated by the r-eferencecharacterv in the tubular portion 43 of the forming head, is for the purpose of receiving the strand of weft or cross filling material 61, which, it will be seen, after being fed between the convolutions of the twisted foundation threads 62, 63, is to be severed or cut in the manner hereinafter described in short lengths, thus making the ultimate severed duplicate strands of the chenille product as illustratedin Fig. 20. The rotatable forming head 45 (Figs. 3, 6 and 7) is provided on its under surface, concentric with its central opening, with an enlarged circular recess or housing portion for the dual purpose of receiving'an anti-friction ball bearing device comprising the concentric bearing rings 64, each provided with co-operating ball races adapted to receive the anti-friction balls 66, and to carry the weft feeder device.

Y The aforesaid tubular member 47 with its lower enlarged peripheral portion 48 thus furnishes a support for the detachable specially constructed chenille former member shown in the aforesaid side and front elevation views, Figs. 8 and 9 and designated generally by the reference character '70, the upper portion of which is of cylindrical form as illustrated in the top plan and. sectional views, Figs. 1-0 and 11, this cylindrical portion of the former member vs having an easy sliding fit through the interior of the central opening through both the rotatable and stationary portions connected to or co-operatin withthe rotatable head 45. The lower open or recessed end below the ball bearing device in the rotatable the grooved former member 70 in the manner illustrated most clearly in Figs. 3, 6 and 7 there being a close frictional or drive fit between the outer periphery of the specially formed cupshaped member '71 and the inner wall of the recessed cup-shaped rotatable head 45 so that the member 71 when the parts are assembled as illustrated in Figs. 3, 6 and 7 will always be cause to rotate positively with the rotatable head 45.

A downwardly projecting needle-like arm '72 is fixedly secured to' th outer periphery of the lowermost circular portion of the cup-shaped member 71 and'provided with a deflected lower extremity 73 having an eyelet 74 therein (Figs. 16 to 18 inclusive) through which is passed the chenille filler strand 61 which is fed domiwardly from the central opening 60 through angular slot 75 in the upper portion of the head 45 thence through a vertical groove between the head 45 and the head band ring 49 as designated by t e reference character '76.

The vertically extending chenille former member '70 which telescopes upwardly within the composite head portion thus formed, is provided with a specially formed intermediate grooved and contracted portion as illustrated most clearly in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive and in Fig. 18 and this member 70 is detachably supported near its lower extremity which is slotted as indicated at '27 (Figs. '7 and 8) for adjustable attachment to a bracket 78 carried by the front vertical plate 15 (Fig. 6) by means of a threaded bolt 79 provided with suitable locking nuts and washers and is more particularly illustrated in Figs. 3, 6, 14 and 15.

In the construction and assembly of the former member 70 with the co-operating rotary head 45 and parts carried thereby and connected therewith, it is importantthat the cup-shaped member '71 having a drive fit with the lower open end of the head45 to rotate therewith shall be loosely connected with the tubular member 47 both as respects the tubular body portion thereof as well as the enlarged lower peripheral portion 48 of the same so that there will be at all times an opportunity for the head 4 to rotate freely on the ball bearing device in relation to the tubular sleeve 47which although supported against detachment from the head by the lower closure member 71, will be locked against rotation within the head by means of a cross pin 80 extending diametrically between the walls. of the tubular member 4'? and adapted to be engaged by the corresponding diametrically extending slot 81 (see Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive) at the upper end of the normally fixed former member 76.

When the rotary former head is assembled in the manner described with the sleeve 47, 48 end the ball bearing device 64; 65, 66, secured by the drive fit assembly of the cup shaped -1 ber '71 carrying the circularly moving weft strand feeding eyeleted device 7 2, it wi -e seen that the upper and substantially cylin rical portion of the specially constructed former device may be inserted within the central opening of the composite head and secured therein by theloching signed to serve as a forming supportfor the bringing together of the foundation or warp strands of fibrous material into which suitably out cross strands of the weft or filler fibrous materials to be cut from the strand 61 are to be laid and engaged by the twisting of foundation threads 2, 63 in the manner hereinafter described.

Furthermore it will be seen from the foregoing description of the rotating head and the stationary former in niber to together with the parts connected therewith and carried thereby that the former member '25 is not only removable from the head 45 by loosening its securing means 79 at the bottom enabling it to be slid downwardly and released from the closure locking pin 80 at the top thereof but that it may be entirely removed from within th head 45 and parts carried thereby with the greatest of ease for replacement or for removing any lodged fibrous materials that might become wedged therein during the operation of the machine as well as for the application of any desired lubricant thereto or as a possible aid in threading the foundation threads or strands therethroug The revision of the former member 70 with its special construction as illustrated in Figs. '7 to i l inclusive, is of the greatest importance. It is formed preferably of a good grade of tool steel that will be suitably hardened and polished throughout all of its wearing surfaces and particularly adjacent the contracted central portion 83 thereof where the filler or weft strand material 61 is wound there-about and cut in the manner hereinafter described.

lhe member To is also provided, as illustrated in the detail views, with series of internal and peripheral channels and grooves for guiding and feeding or leading one of each of the double pairs of foundation or weft strands of material in the formation of the double strands of chenille to be subsequently severed by the flexible band knife 3e, one run of which passes continuously through the central elongated. vertical slot 84, in the comparatively thin and narrowed lower portion of the former member 70, the upper end of which slot terminates near the central contracted portion 83 of the former member so that the sharpened upper edge of the band knife 34. will be constantly travelling in the desired location for severing the spirally wound strands of the weft or "ller strand 61 in the operation of forming the cor pleted double chenille strands.

In order that the former member '70 may function in the most efficient manner, the upper cylindrical portion thereof adjacent the contracted forming neck 83 is given a substantially conical shape as indicated by the reference character 85. The upper end of this conical part 85 begins at substantially the of the rotating weft feeding pin '72 and the eye "I i therein so that as the former head 45 carrying the weft winding pin '72 rotates around the former '70, the weft or filler strand will continuously be wound spirally around the conical portion 85 of th former with a normal tendency fo the spirally wound filler material in its tube -like feri ation as thus produced, to tend to be crowded downwardly of the former nd toward the upper end of the central knife slot 8% an upon the upper cutting edge of the flexible knife 34 so that the operation of severing the filler or weft material will be continuous during the normal operation of the machine.

Since the improved chenille forming device of which the former member 78 comprises an essential part, must assist in the assembly of two pairs of foundation or warp strands of fibrous material, provision is made therein for the assembly and feeding of the same to the neck 83 of the former. This result is accomplished by the provision of a pair of diametrically formed, longitudinally extending grooves 86, 87 in the periphery of the cylindrical portion of the former 70. The grooves 86, 87 extend as indicated in the drawings, from the extreme upper end of the cylindrical portion of the former downwardly to some distance below the neck 83 of the former as shown most clearly in Fi 9 so that one strand of each of the respective pairs of the foundation or warp threads may be brought to the neck of the former where the weft and foundation materials in forming the chenille will be assembled, such threads being fed downwardly from the upper end of the cylindrical portion of the former '10 through these slots as hereinafter described.

Since the former member To with the normally interlocked co-operating bearing tube 4'7, 48 is the only relatively stationary part of the forming mechanism, provision must be made for introducing or feeding one of each of the respective of foundation or warp threads from the lower tothe pper end of the former '70. This is cco olished by the provision of a pair of longitudinally extending internal openings 88, 89 as illustrated-in Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive whiohbegin at the extrem upper end of the cylindrical portion of the fo er '29 and are bored with a tool to form a subst itially cylindrical opening which will termin to in the conical shaped portion 85 of the former in the manner illustrated most clearly in Fig. 8. Connecting with these terminal bores 88, 89 are the grooved slots 90, 91, shown most clearly in 7 and 8 which latter will extend from the neck portion of the former downwardly to the lower terminus f the former, and these slots 90, 91 may conveniently be widened somewhat near the lower end of the former for convenience in forming and threading the foundation or weft strands thereinto as illustrated in Figs. '7, 8 and 15.

As shown in Fig. 15, the before described threaded pin '79 for locking the detachable former 70 in its operative position on the supporting bracket '78 secured to the front top plate 15, will preferably be provided with a washer 92 engaged by threaded nut 93 in such manner that when the former 79 is in its normal assembled position in the machine, the washer 92 will cover the aforesaid enlarged lower ends of the grooves 90, 91.

A further important feature of the invention resides in the special means provided for co-opcrating with the assembled materials as wound around the narrowed neck 83 of the former and introduced through the grooves therein, and for assisting in feeding to the forming mechanism, one strand of ea .1 of the two pairs of foundation or warp material utilized in making subsequently the double severed strands on each former unit of the machine. This mechanism comprises generally, two knurled rollers positioned on opposite sides of the conical neck portions 83, 85 of the former and designated by the reference characters 94, 95, l, 7 and 13. The rollers 94, 95 as illustrated more particularly in Fig. 4 have somewhat widened peripheries, a portion of each of which is provided with double grooves to take and feed one strand of each pair of the foundation or warp threads in a manner to be hereinafter described, and they are furthermore provided with a knurled peripheral portion lyingexactly in .ie plane of the neck portion .83

, spective rollers by the reference character 98.

Theknurled rollers, 94, 95 are secured upon shafts 96, 97 and they are positively driven in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 7 so that as the rotary forming head with the traveling arm '72 carries the weft or filler, strand spirally,

around the neck of the former, the knurled portions of the rollers 94, 95 will engage the spirally wound weft or filler material of the strand 61 on the neck of the former and tend to crowd the same downwardly upon the upper cutting edge of the knife 34.

The shafts 96, 97 are journalled in bearing brackets (Fig. 4) 100, lol secured to the vertical top plate 15 adjacent the transverse shaft 102 and they are adapted to be rotated to impart r0,- tation to the knurled and grooved rollers 94, 95 by means of suitable gearing which may consist of co-operating worm gears 180, 181 on shaft 102 and on the rear ends of shafts 96, 97. The knurled and grooved rollers 94, 95 are mounted upon the shafts 96, 9'7 to rotate therewith but at the same time to have sliding engagement with their respective shafts for purposes of adjustment in relation to the neck portion 83 and the conical portion 85 of the former, being pressed in one direction by compression coil springs 103' and adjustably controlled against the'action of said springs on their respective shafts by the threaded winged nuts 104 on the threaded outer ends of their respective shafts 96, 97.

In addition to the driving connections operated from the main drive shaft 16 for operating the band knife and the rotary forming head, as described, the shaft 16 carries a small sprocket gear 110 (Figs. 1 and 2) for operating a sprocket chain or other flexible belt 111 which transmits power to a. large speed reduction sprocket gear 112 on the transverse shaft 113 journalled in suitable bearings on the main frame. From the shaft 113, power for operating the aforesaid shaft 102, is transmitted through the flexible driving belt 114 and suitable co-operating sprockets on said shafts (see Figs. 1 and 2). The main driving shaft 16 is also provided with an enlarged sprocket 115 by which it operates through sprocket chain-116 a transverse shaft 117 journalled in suitable bearings near the front of the machine frame and provided with suitable worm gears, one of which is indicated by the reference character 118, Fig. 2, for operatively engaging cooperating worm gears 119 on vertical shafts 120 rotatably mounted in the front of the main frame for imparting rotary motion to chenille winding devices to be hereinafter more particularly described.

The transverse shaft 113 is also operatively connected through a suitable pair of gearsl24, 125, Figs. 1 and 2, with vertical shaft 126 for operating through gears 127, .128, the transverse shaft 129 at the bottom of the main frame carrying cams designated by reference character 130 for co-operating with the chenillewinding frames or spools to cause them to be raised and lowered during the winding of completed chenille thereon in a manner well understood in this art.

Other devices common in this typeof machine forsupporting the spools of fibrous material and for applying liquid glue or sizing to certain strands of the material being treated, are provided as well ascertain other details of mechanism that will be subsequently referred to in the following description of the normal operation of the machine. l

The improved mechanism comprising the present invention is particularly. adapted inthe fab-' the manufacture of chenille from a wide range of materials and when essentially coarser materials are to be used, than those herein referred to, certain modifications in the size and propor-- tion of various parts within the knowledge of those skilled in the art may be resorted to in the construction of the machine without departing from the purpose and spirit of the invention.

The weft or filer strand of material designated in the drawings by the reference character '61 may be supported on a suitable spool as indicated at 140 (Figs. 1 and 2) carried by some accessible portion of the main frame, and the filler or weft material will pass thence over the guide 141 on, the bracket 142 protruding above an offset portion of the top vertical plate 15 and supported thereby. For tensioning purposes, the filler strand 61 passes around tensioning rollers 143, 144 carried by an adjustable frame 145 and it passes thence downwardly over tensioning roller 143 into the openupper end of the open tube 43 of the rotatable forming head 45, thence into the forming head 45. Previous to starting the machine, the;

filler strand will, of course, be threaded through the rotating eyelet pin 72 on the former head and anchored by being wrapped in one or more convolutions around the neck of the former device which will have been previously properly threaded with certain of the warp or foundation strands while at the same time the other cooperating warp or foundation strands will have been threaded into proper relation with the aforedescribed forming device in substantially the fol lowing manner:

Each forming unit comprising one of the former device '70 with its co-operating rotating head and feeding and cutting devices being adapted to form a double strand of chenille material which shall be severed by the band knife 34 in the former, will require two pairs of foundation threads, thatis, one pair of threads for each of the severed strands ofcompleted chenille; These threads or strands may all be identical in size and character or they may vary in size and material according to the character of the resulting product desired, but in order that the foundation or weft threads, when twisted upon the transverse cut filler or weft material, shall be able to satisfactorily hold the same as an integralpart of the completed chenille strand, I provide in each former unit device of the machine, means for applying some form of liquid adhesive to one of each of the co-operating twisted pairs of foundation or warpreference characters 62, 63, one only ofeach of.

these pairs will be supplied with a liquid adhesive and for uniformity in the description of the operation of the machine, with respect to the partsas illustrated in the drawings, the ,warp or foundation threads to which adhesive isapplied are designated by the reference character 62 and the co-pending strands by the reference character 63 throughout this specification.

150 designates generally a spool of foundation or warp material 62 that may conveniently be secured so as to have the material drawn therefrom by rotatably mounting it in a common well known manner upon the frame (Fig. 1) of the machine, the strand 62 being taken from; the spool through the eyelet 151 and thence under a deflector 152 by which the strand traverses the interior of a liquid adhesive basin 153 mounted on the machine frame.

Only one spool 150 is illustrated but it will be obvious that two of such spools with the necessary means as described for directing the strands therefrom through the adhesive basin 153 will be required for each forming head and the warp or foundation strands thereto after having the adhesive or sizing thereon will be conducted as shown most clearly in 5 from the adhesive basin to grooved direction rollers 15 1 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) and passing thence upwardly over the double grooved portions of the before described knurled co-operating rollers 94, 95 located on opposite sides and co-operating with the neck portion 85 of the former '70. Thestrands 62 carrying the adhesive will be looped around the rollers 94, 95 passing thence over the spaced, grooved guide roller-S155, the threads 62 will be passed thence around the remaining grooves in the rollers 94, 95 and thence be threaded down-- wardly passing adjacent the lower extremities of the respective slots '86, 87, at the sides of the neck 83 of the former member '76 and between the former member and the co-operating knurled rollers 94, 95.

While in the preceding description the manner of bringing the weft or filler thread 61 and the glued strands of th warp or foundation threads to the point of union in the forming mechanism, has been described for convenience merely and assuming that the former member '70 with its weft or foundation strands as threaded therein are already in place in the machine, it should be understood that in the preparation of the machine for practical operation before the filler or weft strand 61 is threaded downwardly into the forming device and before the adhesive treated foundation or warp threads are threaded into the forming device, the former '70 with the unglued or unsized foundation or Warp threads should already be in position as illustrated in Fig. '7 and the foundation or warp threads cooperating therewith should be threaded thereinto in the following manner:

For each forming unit, two spools as indicated at- 160 will be rotatably mounted in the usual manner upon the main frame or some suitable stationary part of the machine so that the pair of warp strands 63 that are not treated with a sizing or mucilage, may be conducted in the manner illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5 beneath a deflector guide 161 and thence around suitable grooved tensioning rollers designated by the reference characters 162, 163, 164 and 165.

After being passed over these tension devices, the unglued or unsized warp or foundation strands 63 will pass upwardly into the grooves 90, 91 heretofore described in the lower extremity of the former member '70, these grooves being closed as heretofore noted by the removable plate or washer 92. The warp or foundation strands 63 pass thence upwardly into the pair of vertical communicating openings 88, 89 in the upper cylindrical body portion of the former member and out the upper end thereof as ilIustrated by the arrows in Fig. '7, thence over an anti-friction guide roller 166 on the transverse pin'16'7 carried in the upper end of the stationary sleeve 4?, thence downwardly at each side of the cylindrical portion of the former through the before described peripheral slots 86, 87 to the point of union of the filler strand 61 and the respective pairs of the foundation or warp threads at the neck 83 and upon the'conical portion of the former.

Unlike the filler strand 61 in threading andstarting the machine, which need only be brought to the neck of the former and Wrapped around a few turns in threading and starting the machine, the warp or foundation threads 62, 63 at both sides of the former will, before starting the machine, be drawn past the knurled portions 98 of the feed rolls 94, and thence downwardly into the chenille strand twisting devices as before referred to, comprising the hollow shafts operated by the aforesaid worm gears 118, 119.

From the hollow interior of the winding shafts 120, not only the subsequently severed strands of completed chenille which are designated gen-v erally throughout the drawings by the reference character 1'70, but in threading the machine for starting, the two pairs of foundation or warp threads 62, 63 will be threaded into the rotating eccentric tube-like winder bars 1'71 carried by the rotating twister shafts 120 and passing from the lower delivery ends thereof, these strands and the subsequently completed strands of chenille will be carried to the bobbins or spools 172 where the filler strands will be secured by. wrapping or tying them around the spools 172 so that when the machine is started and the winding frames 1'71 with the twisting tubes 120 to which they are attached, will set in motion the foundation threads which first Will be twisted below the forming device adjacent the neck of the former member 70 and after the strand of filler material 61 is subsequently laid around the neck of the forming member and secured therein by the twisting of the foundation or warp threads 62, 63, which will extend well into the forming device between the knurled feeding members 94, 95 so that the severed strands will receive a proper twist upon the respective cut filaments of the filler or weft material and the finished, several strands 1'76 of chenille will not only be twisted but properly spooled upon the bobbins 172, the chenille being properly wound on the bobbins in regular spiral formation by reason of the timed vertical reciprocation of the bobbins 1'72 which is accomplished by the vertical reciprocation of the shafts 1'73 and their supporting frames which are alternately raised and depressed by the action of the eccentric cams 174 cooperating with anti-friction rollers 175 carried upon arms 176 secured to the bobbin supporting frames by which the spools 172 are carried to have-rotation under frictional resistance not shown to regulate the amount of twist, these details of construction of the spools or bobbins 1'72 being omitted since they form no part of the present invention, but it will be un-' derstood that the frictional resistance of the bobbins 1'72 when acted upon by the finished chenille product in being wound thereupon will rotate'the bobbins 1'72 as may be desired under regulated, frictional resistance to secure the desired degree of twist in the completed product.

The cams 1'74 are fixedly secured to the aforedescribed transverse shaft 129 operated through the described gear from the main drive shaft 16 through the intermediate gearing and the respective horizontal and verticalshafts 113 and 126. In threading and operating the machine, it should be noted that the warp or foundation threads 63 which do not receive the sizing or glue saturation treatment in the glue basin 153 after passing upwardly through the interior channels in the former and over the anti-frictionroller 166 at the top thereof are brought in a continuous manner downwardly through the peripheral vertical grooves 86, 8'7 in the former to the conical shaped neck portions 83, and there united in substantial parallelism with the adhesively saturated foundation or warp threads 62, 63 between the knurled crowding rollers 94, and the Sides of the conical and neck portions of the former while at the same time the horizontal rotary motion of the eyeleted feeding pin '72 operated by the rotating head 45, 49, 71, will feed the filler strand 61 downwardly and lay the convolutions of the same in spiral formation around the conical neck of the former member '70 and between the respective pairs of foundation or warp threads 62, 63 after the manner illustrated in Figs. 7 and 18.

At the same time, the co-operating rotary movements of the peripheries of the knurled rollers 94, 95 contacting with the convolutions of the filler or weft 61 on the conical former together with the generally conical shapeof the former as indicated at 85, will crowd the materials downwardly upon the top of the upper knife edge of the flexible band blade 34 thus severing the substantially circular and spirally wound runs of the weft or filler material 61 in the manner illustrated in the diagrammatical sectional view, Fig. 19, while at the same time, that the severing action of the weft or filler strands is taking place, the

foundation or warp threads 62, 63 at the respective sides of the for or will be twisted in the manner illustrated in 2G to bind the semicircular wisps cut from the spirally wound strand 61 to the form substantially as illustrated in Fig. 20, thus making the completed chenille product as designated generally by the reference character 170 in the drawings which will continue to be fed downwardly following the threaded path of the foundation threads as before described until the two severed strands from each unit of the machine are wound in proper formation upon the spools or bobbins 172. The twisting action of the rotating guide tuhes and the eccentrically mounted rotary winding tubes or guides 171 may be geared to put any desired relative degree of twists upon each pair of the foundation or warp threads 62, 63, and from the foregoingdescription I of the operation of the chenille forming device, connected with the stationary former 7D and the rotating head, operating co-axially therewith, it will be seen that the twists imparted to the foundation threads 62, 63 in the chenille will extend constantly toward the point adjacent the conical shaped former 85 and'the neck portion 83, thus insuring that as the filling material is severed to provide the short cut lengths of the filler, each of these wisps will be securely gripped between the convolutions or twists of the foundation or warp threads, 62, 63, and that as the filler or weft material in the form of semi-circular lengths are severed around the former. by the travel of the movable knife 34, the severed filler strands will straighten themselves to form a nor mal character of chenille as required in a product of this character.

It will furthermore be apparent that the iii-- vention provides a compact assembly of chenille forming mechanism as respects the rotating head cooperating with the stationary groove: former devices 70, and that these devices and the associated movable co-operating mechanisms in assembling the materials, cutting the filler strands and twisting the foundation or warp threads, are

of a character to adapt them to successful high speed operation; and that they are also capable of successfully handling the most delicate, flexible fibrous materials thus providing a machine which will operate continuously with a minimum amount of down or lost time at a high rate of speed and one which by reason of the general vertical direction of movement of the material through the chenille forming device, may be compactly constructed so that a single operator may more conveniently attend a much larger number of units or machines of the character described than heretofore possible in this type of machine which has largely run to machines of the horizontal type and in which the general movement of the fibrous materials pass through the chenille forming devices in a horizontal direction.

In order that the invention might be understood, the details of the preferred embodiment have been set forth with particularity and it 'will be apparent that persons skilled the art may resort to various modifications of certain of the essential novel features of the invention without departin from the purpose and spirit thereof. It is therefore, not desired to be restricted to the details of construction except as set forth in the appended claims.

. We claim:

1. A chenille forming machine comprising in combination an integral, elongated, slotted stationary former having a conical winding portion terminating in a neck portion and being provided with a plurality of grooves extending longitudinally thereof and ina substantially vertical direction, a rotary head co-a to revolve around a portion of the former, means for continuously feeding duplicate pairs of foundation or warp threads vertically through the grooved former, means carried the rotary head for feeding a weft or filler strand of fibrous material in spiral convolutions on a substantially vertical axis around the former and between the respective foundation or warp threads comprising each of the respective duplicate pairs thereof,'severing means for the fibrous weft or filler material comprising a movable cutter passing diametrically through the slotted former, and means for twisting the respective duplicate of foundation or warp threads upon the severed spiral convolutions of the fibrous weft or filler material.

2. A chenille forming machine, comprising in combination an integrahelongated grooved stationary former provided with an intermediate conical portion arranged to have vertical axial extension, a rotary head co-axially mounted in relation to the former to rotateon a substantially vertical axis, means carried by the rotary head for feeding the filler strand of weft or fibrous material spirally around the conical portion of the former, means for continuously f eding duplicate pairs of foundation or warp threads longitudinally through the grooved former;

means for severing the spirally formed convolutions of weft or filler material on the conical lly mounted portion of the former, comprising an endless belt form of cutting device, one run of which is arranged to pass diametrically through a slot adjacent the said intermediate conical portion of the former, and means for positively moving the spirally formed weft or filler strands of fibrous material longitudinally of the former upon the said severing means.

3. A chenille forming machine comprising in combination a head rotatably mounted on a substantially vertical axis, an elongated grooved stationary former co-axially mounted in relation to said head with the grooves therein extending substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the said rotary head, there being a conical shaped intermediate portion on the said former into and through which the said grooved portions therein extend, the said grooved portions of the former including an intermediate groove passing diametrically through the body of the former and adjacent the said intermediate conical portion therein, means carried by the rotary head for feeding a weft or filler strand offibrous material spirally around the conical portion of the former, means for continuously feeding duplicate pairs of foundation or warp threads to the grooved former, and means co-operating with the said diametrically extending slot in the former for severing the spirally formed convolutions of weft or filler material on the former,

4-. A chenille forming machine comprising in combination a head rotatably mounted on a substantially vertical axis, an elongated grooved stationary former co-axially mounted in relation to said head with the grooves therein extending substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the said rotary head, there being a conical shaped intermediate portion on the said former into and through which the said grooved portions therein extend, the said grooved portions of the former including an intermediate groove passing diametrically through the body of the former and adjacent the said intermediate conical portion therein, means carried by the rotary head for feeding a weft or filler strand of fibrous material spirally around the conical portion of the former, ieans for continuously feeding duplicate pairs of foundation or warp threads "to the grooved former, means co-operating with the said diametrically extending slot in the former for severing the spirally formed convolutions of weft or filler material on the former, and means for twisting the respective foundation or warp threads in each duplicate pair thereof upon the spir lly wound and subsequently severed convolutions of weft or filler material upon the cord-- cal portion of the former.

5. A chenille forming machine comprising in combination an integral, elongated grooved stationary former provided with an intermediate conical portion arranged to have extension on a substantially vertical axis, a rotary head cooperating with the former and mounted to rotate co-axially therewith, means carried by the rotary head for feeding a weft or filler strand of fibrous material spirally around the conical portion or" the former, means for feeding a warp thread through the grooves of said former within the convolutions of said spirally wound weft or filler material, a feed roller adjacent said grooved former for conveying a companion foundation or warp thread to the grooved former outside of the said spirally wound fibrous material on the former, means for severing the spirally formed convolutions of weft or filler material on diametrically opposite sides of the form er, comprising a flexible band knife, one run of which is threaded to traverse a slot in the former adjacent the conical portion thereof, and means for drawing foundation or warp threads and for twisting the same to bind the severed spirally formed convolutions of weft or filler material within said foundation or warp threads.

6. A chenille forming unit comprising in combination an elongated stationary former having at one end thereof a cylindrical portion with an intermediate conical portion terminating in a neck to which is integrally connected a relatively thin flattened portion extending toward the opposite end of the former, there being a pair of longitudinally extending holes formed within the body of the cylindrical portion of the former and communicating with the conical neck portion thereof terminating in grooves which extend toward the opposite end of the former in the surface of the flattened portion of the former, there being a pair of grooves formed on diametrically opposite sides of the cylindrical portion of the former and extending longitudinally thereof into the said conical neck portion, a knife slot extending diametrically through the body of the former and communicating with the conical neck portion therein, a tubular member sleeved over the cylindrical portion of the former and having a detachable slotted connected with the former, an anti-friction warp thread guide carried on the interior of said tubular member, a rotating head carried at one end of a tubular member and being journalled upon the said tubular sleeve, there being weft material guide slots for feeding weft material from the interior portion of the said member to a co-operating feed guide through the periphery of the said member, an eyeleted arm projecting downwardly from the head member to rotate therewith and to carry a strand of weft material in spiral formation around the conical portion of the former, a knife positioned within the aforesaid centrally slotted portion of the former and having a cutting edge located adjacent the lower end of the conical portion of the former, means for operating the knife, there being a plurality of strands of warp or foundation material threaded in the aforesaid slots in the flattened portion of the form r and extending thence longitudinally through the said interior openings through the cylindrical portion of the former and being threaded over the antiriction' device within the aforesaid sleeve in the end of the former within the rotary head portion and. extending thence through the peripheral longitudinal slots in the cylindrical portion of the former toward and through the neck portion thereof, a pair of opposed rotary feed rollers positioned on diametrically opposite sides of the neck portion of the former and co-operating therewith for carrying a pair of companion warp threads to the neck portion of the former, said warp threads being looped around said rollers and carried into juxtaposition with the aforesaid warp threads emanating from the aforesaid peripheral former grooves, and means for collectively twisting the warp strands in pairs upon opposite sides of the former for securing the out strands of weft in the convolutions thereof as the weft strands are fed from the conical neck of the former adjacent the said cutting device passing therethrough.

'7. A chenille forming machine comprising in combination a rotary head provided with an axial opening, a tubular member mounted within the axial opening, an anti-friction bearing device interposed between the tubular member and the rotary head, a grooved stationary former adapted for detachable insertion axially of the rotary head within the said tubular member, the said former being provided with an intermediate conical por-' tion tapering downwardly to form a neck portion adapted to lie adjacent the outer extremity of the rotary head, there being means for feeding a weft strand of material through the rotary head to a point adjacent the neck portion of the former, an eyeleted arm secured to rotate with said head and being adapted to wrap a weft strand of material passing'through the said head in spiral formation around the conical neck portion of the former, means for feeding duplicate pairs of foundation or warp threads to diametrically opposite sides of the neck portion of the former, one strand of each pair of warp threads passing through grooves in the neck of the former on the interior of the spiral convolutions of the weft material as wound upon the neck of the former, a pair of co-operating rollers located adjacent to and on diametrically opposite sides of the neck of the former and being adapted to contact with the spiral convolutions of the weft material on the neck of the former to crowd the same longitudinally of the former, a cutting device located adjacent the neck of the former and being adapted to sever the convolutions of weft material on diametrically opposite sides of therneck of the former and between the respective strands of foundation or warp material fed thereto, there being means on said rollers for feeding co-operating strands of warp or foundation material to the aforesaid strands passing through the grooves in the former on the interior of the spiralconvolutions of weft material, and means for drawing the respective strands of foundation or warp material in pairs from the conical neck portion and for twisting the same to secure the severed portions of weft or filler material within the convolutions of the warp or foundation material and for spooling the same.

- EDWARD A. NEFF.

GEORGE P. RINK. 

